Friday 8th August 2025

Opinion

The Encaenia is PR without the public (or anyone else)

Wholesale reform is the last thing Encaenia needs. If only people knew what it is, it would be a well-suited PR exercise for a modern Oxford.

This is how we combat the crusade against universities

It’s easy to think of an arts degree as a fruitless pleasure. But education and academic study are intrinsically valuable.

From pensioners to students, all should fear the Palestine Action ban

If you think this is a win for one side over the other in relation to Israel’s war on Gaza, be careful what you wish for.

Trashing rules save face, not students

Trashing is banned. But what does the banning achieve except pushing students further from...

A Losing Battle: London-centrism and the Northern Powerhouse

"There is a distinct lack of investment in the infrastructure of the North, and, with a string of governments failing to address the issue, the problem has for a long time been abandoned to the inhabitants themselves."

What the media coverage of Beirut shows us: a skewed approach to global disasters

"Manifesting a white-saviour complex, yet demonstrating a truly self-interested approach at heart, the Western mainstream media is broken."

Hajj during a pandemic

"The restricted Hajj has led to the devastation of many Muslims globally, as the chance to embark on the pilgrimage is hard to come by."

Cameroon and the problematic nature of humanitarian aid

"Humanitarian aid, by its very nature, creates a narrative based on status imbalance, forming a relationship between those who need help, and those who fly across the world to provide it."

Opinion: Ignore those saying otherwise – coronavirus has proven that devolution works

"Covid-19 has, in many ways, been an endorsement, rather than an exposé, for the future of devolution."

An Oxford student’s guide to graduating in an economic crisis

"When it comes to financial ruin you could call me a seasoned veteran. As a Greek, we did it before it was cool."

Let’s not pretend that pandemics are a ‘foreign’ problem

"The outsourcing of blame for the coronavirus is an example of political scapegoating which relies on prejudice, rather than evidence, to become a shared and accepted narrative."

A Level Results Day: a ‘kick in the teeth’ for social mobility and educational equality

"The overall result is that in a year where the imperative to work at home has already disproportionately impacted pupils from lower socio-economic backgrounds, the education gap has been well and truly entrenched by A Level results that amplify disadvantage."

From museum to mosque: the deconsecration of the Hagia Sophia

"Ultimately the Hagia Sophia remains today what it always has been over the course of its 1,500-year history: a unique political tool and lightning rod for controversy."

Toxic mask-ulinity: What COVID-19 tells us about the cult of the ‘manly man’

"How has a public health measure become a point of gender expression?"

Opinion: COVID-19 shows a missed opportunity to tackle the climate crisis

"The public has immense power. We fuel the consumerist society we live in, we create the demand for products which destroy the planet."

IB results day: a broken algorithm which decided students’ futures

"The easiest solution that satisfied both the IB and the majority of schools was chosen, leaving the students behind."

Pandemic Perspectives: Texas

The current state of COVID-19 in Texas is ultimately a failure of federal and local leadership.

Hong Kong National Security Law: Safeguard or Subversion?

"Any legal grounds in defence of the National Security Law are uprooted by the breaches in fundamental principles that have long governed life in Hong Kong, by the laws of China where justice and fairness are near non-existent."

The problem with Pornhub: and how they get away with it

"Tube sites like PornHub have conditioned us to expect that porn should always be free; but this convenience has a cost."

More than a hashtag: the media’s portrayal of young activism

Although it may be an issue to 'no platform' or 'cancel' those who disagree with our views on Brexit or veganism, it is a different issue when it comes to human rights

Nothing to celebrate: Fourth of July and its role in ignoring Native American history

"Much like Mount Rushmore, Independence Day places a disproportionate emphasis on a narrative of glory, justice, and equality in US history, choosing to acknowledge far too little of the Native American experience."

We must not forget our history – Pride was born out of protest

"In a system created to work against them, queer people created underground communities in which they could be themselves."

Opinion – Rebecca Long-Bailey gone: Labour’s long path to eliminating antisemitism has only just begun

Firing Long-Bailey immediately should neither be criticised nor excessively praised – it was simply a minimal requirement for Starmer... This was the only clean start possible for Labour.

The‌ ‌Myth‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Affluent‌ ‌International:‌ ‌the‌ ‌impact‌ ‌of‌ ‌Brexit‌ ‌on‌ ‌EU‌ ‌Students‌ ‌ ‌

"Universities should embrace an ethos of openness, and institute measures which will continue to ensure that students from around the world can still afford to come and study."

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